Never Let Me Go
by Screaming Faeries
Summary: "Two souls don't find each other by simple accident." Unrelated drabbles
1. She's Got a Black Heart (RodBella)

**She's Got a Black Heart**

 **Pairing:** Rodolphus/Bellatrix **  
Word Count:** 107 **  
** **Written for:** September Event, prompt: (plot) Finding love at Hogwarts

* * *

Rodolphus watched from his seat in the corner of the Slytherin Common Room. _She_ was here again - the girl who had captured his heart since the Sorting Hat had screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" before it had even touched a hair on her head.

Bellatrix had only developed more and more as the years at Hogwarts had passed by. She grew crueller, harsher, her childish laughter transitioning into a hollow cackle. Her boyish stature grew softer and supple, until by her sixth year, she was just shy of the woman she would surely soon become.

But Rodolphus didn't know whether he had the nerve to speak to her just yet.


	2. Monday is Cancelled (RonLavender)

**Monday is Cancelled**

 **Pairing:** Ron/Lavender  
 **Word Count:** 182 **  
** **Written for:** September Event, prompt: (dialogue) "Can't we just cancel Monday? It's not like anyone cares..."

* * *

Lavender sat up in the chair she had been slouching in. She had heard noise in the dormitories above, and she knew who would be coming down the stairs. He was late as usual, opting for an extra ten minutes in bed instead of going down to breakfast with Harry and Hermione.

He bustled into the common room, raking a hand through his red hair and yawning loudly. "Oh, hey Lavender," he muttered. "Are you coming down to the Great Hall?"

She nodded enthusiastically, jumping out of the armchair with a little too much energy for someone who had been up since six. They climbed through the portrait hole and headed for the Great Hall, Lavender clutching her schoolbag to her chest and trying to think of something to say to the person she had been crushing on for several weeks.

"Can't we just cancel Monday?" she blurted out suddenly. "It's not like anyone cares..." her voice tailed off, and she regretted it almost as soon as the words left her mouth.

Ron looked at her oddly, but grinned nonetheless. "I wish."


	3. Platform Twelve (ViktorHermione)

**Platform Twelve**

 **Pairing:** Viktor/Hermione  
 **Word Count:** 206  
 **Written For:** September Event, prompt used: (plot) Meeting a friend at King's Cross Station

* * *

Hermione felt quite self concious at King's Cross station as she waited. It wasn't often that she visited the station, and definitely not to wait on the Muggle platforms. She stood at Platform Twelve, but occasionally set the odd glance across the train lines, where she could see the wall that would lead to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

Of course, she was twenty-three and it was November, so the Hogwart's Express wouldn't be waiting behind that wall. But she couldn't help but reminisce.

A loud whistle roared shrilly in her ears, followed by the rush and whirr of a train screeching to a halt. Hermione took a few steps back, brushing back stray strands of hair, and waited for the doors to swing open.

He looked an eyesore from the moment he stepped off the train; clad in crimson velvet and his neck wrapped in fur. If it wasn't for the hostile way he held himself and the intimidating glares he shot the Muggles around him, Hermione was sure that people would be staring a little more at him.

His eyes brightened at the sight of Hermione, and he bustled over. "Viktor," she greeted, her cheeks reddening in his presence.

He smiled back happily. "Hermy-ninny."


	4. Chocolate Cauldrons (HarryRomilda)

**Chocolate Cauldrons**

 **Pairing:** Harry/Romilda  
 **Word Count:** 184  
 **Written For:** September Event, prompt used: (plot) favourite class at Hogwarts.

* * *

Romilda's heart flipped as Harry walked into the Potions classroom.

Professor Snape had set Harry to partner up with her since they began practising how to brew Shrinking Solutions last week, and since then, Potions had quickly become her favourite class. Whereas before she was sluggishly stirring her cauldron and half-heartedly browsing through her instructions, she had suddenly developed an eager desire to perfect the Shrinking Solution.

Harry, however, seemed less than pleased. He was used to working with Weasley and Granger—so why would he be eager to work with Romilda, the girl he hardly knew?

Romilda hoped that the chocolate cauldrons she had bought from Honeydukes might prove otherwise. She had managed to acquire a small amount of Amortentia, a little of which she had applied to the sweets.

"Hey, Harry," she greeted shyly, as he took his seat beside her. He barely acknowledged her.

"Hi," he muttered, immediately slumping over his desk and throwing his bag onto the floor.

The chocolate rustled in Romilda's bag, and she forced herself to inhale a mouthful of confidence. "Would you like a chocolate, Harry?"


	5. Broom Closet Ball (FredAngelina)

**Broom Closet Ball**

 **Pairing:** Fred/Angelina  
 **Word Count:** 157  
 **Written For:** September Event, prompt used: (plot) getting into trouble at Hogwarts.

* * *

Fred kissed Angelina heatedly in the dark, wrapping his arms around her supple body. The satin of her Yule Ball robes felt smooth and cool under his palms, and her breath was hot on his mouth.

"Fred," she breathed warningly, though he could feel the grin on her face. "We're going to get _caught_."

"No we're not," he muttered, trying to hush her words with his lips. "Everyone's at the bal—"

"—not _everyone_ , Mr Weasley," a familiar stiff, ruthless voice called. Fred and Angelina sprang apart from each other as light suddenly filled the shadows of the small broom cupboard that they were hiding in. Professor McGonagall stared down at them sternly, her thin lips pursed. Despite wearing dress robes of tight emerald velvet, she still looked as strict as ever. "Both of you, out—and to your _separate_ dormitories please," she added, though her glare lingered a little longer on Fred, as the couple scurried off.


	6. Fighting Fire with Ice (CharlieFleur)

**Fighting Fire with Ice**

 **Pairing:** Charlie/Fleur  
 **Word Count:** 144 **  
** **Written For:  
** -September Event, prompt used: (colour) maroon,  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank: (character) Charlie Weasley, (word) Dry, (feeling) Rebellious

* * *

Charlie was hot like the fresh fire from the dragons he so loved. His feverish kisses burnt like scorched coals, his mouth wet and heated. His cracked, dry palms ran fiery rivulets down her body, melting her icy exterior and shaping her into a creature that was warm and pliable.

"Fleur," he groaned into the shell of her ear, his breath blistering her skin. His bare body was pressed against hers, and she was sure she could feel every scar on his skin rubbing against hers. She raked her hands through his hair, which glowed maroon in the dim candlelight. "I can't...Bill..." he moaned his brothers name into her mouth, and she bit down on his bottom lip firmly.

"Don't speak about it," she muttered rebelliously. "Don't even say it."


	7. Every Cloud (PercyPenelope)

**Every Cloud has a Silver Lining**

 **Pairing:** Percy/Penelope  
 **Word Count:** 404  
 **Written For:  
** \- September Event, prompt: (object) Rucksack/Bag  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank: (proverb) "Every cloud has a silver lining.", (word instead of said) Chattered, (first line) "Hand it over, now.", (spell) Petrificus Totalus

* * *

"Hand it over, now!"

Percy was heading up the fourth floor corridor when he heard the shrill voice. He hurried along, turning a corner quickly, until he arrived at the scene. A Ravenclaw girl was standing in front of a bunch of brutish Slytherins, the leader of the gang being Marcus Flint.

Marcus was clutching a rucksack in his hand, which Percy could only assume belonged to the Ravenclaw girl.

"Hey!" Percy snapped, strolling up to the gang and puffing out his chest. "What do you think you're doing? Give that back to her, right now."

"No one invited you, Weasel," grunted Flint, glaring at Percy with his piggy eyes. "I'd be on your way."

"I happen to be a prefect," Percy replied snippily.

"Take this, prefect!" Flint suddenly flipped his wand in Percy's direction. " _Petrificus Totalus!"_

Percy slashed his own wand through the air automatically, " _Protego!_ " The shield charm bounced back in Flint's direction, and he and his band of Slytherins ducked, turning to watch the charm ricocheting down the hallway.

"Come on," snarled Flint suddenly, dropping the rucksack he was holding. Before the Ravenclaw could dive for it, it had burst all over the floor, sending her belongings flying in different directions. She fell to her knees at the same time Percy did, causing them to bump heads awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," chattered Percy, feeling heat rising in his cheeks when he realised how close he was to the girl. He noticed that she was exceptionally pretty; with honey coloured hair, hazel eyes and a small, smiling mouth. A blush crept across her nose and cheeks, and he suddenly didn't feel quite as nervous.

"My name is Penelope," she introduced herself, pulling her rucksack onto her bag. "Penelope Clearwater."

"Percy Weasley."

"I know," she said with another small smile.

"I'm sorry about your bag."

"Every cloud has a silver lining," she murmured, as the pair began to walk down the corridor.

"Oh?" Percy looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Penelope averted her eyes, gazing down the corridor where the gang had fled. "I got to meet you."


	8. Not Quite So Different (JL, VP)

**Not Quite So Different**

 **Pairing:** James/Lily, Vernon/Petunia  
 **Word Count:** 401  
 **Written For:  
** \- September Event, prompt used: (emotion) Exhausted  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank: (quote) "No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark." - Warson Shire, (dialogue) "I sleep with girls, and you persuade them to attempt suicide." - Tony, Skins, (noun) Advice

* * *

Lily and Petunia sat together under a gazebo in the darkness outside, where they could get some privacy from their husbands on Petunia's wedding day. Vernon and James stood awkwardly behind the glass door, watching their wives carefully, eagerly anticipating the moment they would rise from their conversation and join them once again.

"So," Vernon finally spoke, being the first to break their uncomfortable silence. "Have you and Lily finally moved out of your parents house?" he swallowed back a mouthful of the beer he was clutching, continuing to stare over at Petunia. James knew that Vernon would rather not be speaking to him right now, but he was keeping up a good face for Petunia and Lily's relatives.

"Of course not," James replied with a grin. "No one leaves home unless home is in the mouth of a shark. My parents are quite happy for Lily and I to stay there until we find a house that we would be happy to live in."

"Hmph," grumbled Vernon. "You're just a layabout, aren't you? Let me give you some advice, boy. Men usually get a job and make their way out of the nest _before_ they turn twenty."

"Well, I've been slightly busy," James nodded in Lily's direction. "Becoming more acquainted with my true love."

"Nonsense!" sneered Vernon. "Petunia and I opened up a mortgage two years ago. You aren't _that_ different, you just think you can scrounge off your parents because of your— _specialness._ "

"No, we are different," James went on. He was still staring over at his wife and her sister.

"How so?"

"Well, I sleep with girls," he told Vernon, nodding once again towards Lily. "And you convince them to...I don't know, commit suicide?" he gestured to Petunia, who was wearing a look on her face that suggested she could smell something particularly unpleasant. Vernon flushed the colour of a plum, and glared at James heatedly. His moustache bristled as he struggled to think of something adequate to respond with. "Anyway," James continued before Vernon could get his comeuppance. "I think we've exhausted this conversation. See you around, _brother._ "


	9. By the Wandlight (DracoLuna)

**By the Wandlight**

 **Pairing:** Draco/Luna  
 **Word Count:** 298  
 **Written For:  
** Auden - Happy belated birthday!  
\- September Event: (location) Dungeons  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank:(month) November, (feeling) Chilly, (object) Cobweb

* * *

Luna hugged herself as she hurried briskly through the dungeons of Hogwarts. The November weather made the air particularly chilly, and she didn't know how the Slytherins could bear it if their common room was this cold - especially if the rumours were true, and their dormitories resided underneath the Black Lake.

She was on her way to meet a friend; someone who she had only recently become acquainted with. Luna didn't particularly mind, but he had requested that they keep their new found friendship private from their peers.

Luna adored her new friend. It had been a long time since she had someone who actually made the attempt to talk to her and understand her.

An eerie bust of Merlin, shrouded thickly with cobwebs, loomed into her view, and Luna stopped beside it. This was their rendezvous point. She waited patiently, smiling when she heard footsteps along the corridor, and noticed the dull glow of a _lumos_ spell.

"What are you doing down here?" a sharp voice cut through the air. Luna recognised the hollow features of Draco Malfoy, who was in his sixth year, illuminated by the wandlight.

Luna smiled. "What are _you_ doing down here?"

Draco advanced on her. "I happen to be a prefect."

"Are you going to give me detention?"

A smirk suddenly graced Draco's otherwise placid expression. "I might," he muttered, before leaning against the wall beside her. "It's nice to see you properly, at last." He held his arm out for Luna to embrace him, which she did. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her hair. "It's been a difficult few days," he murmured.


	10. The Man's Heart (DracoPansy)

**The Man's Heart**

 **Pairing:** Pansy/Draco **  
Word Count:** 195  
 **Written For:  
** \- September Event, prompt: (object) Apple  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank: (proverb) "The quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach.", (crack dialogue) "Do you think a House Elf could beat a Goblin in a fight?"  
\- Pairing the Character: Pansy/Draco

* * *

"Mother, I'm terribly bored," grumbled eleven year old Pansy Parkinson, as she watched her mother and Narcissa rolling pastry in the kitchen of the Malfoy Manor. "Draco and I were having an important discussion—do I _really_ need to watch you making an apple pie?"

"Pansy, darling," Mrs Parkinson chuckled haughtily, looking down the length of her long nose at her daughter. "The quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. You need to learn the basics of cooking good food if you want to impress your future husband."

"Calm down," Narcissa said quickly, straining a smile. "Nothing has been finalised."

"I'm going into the lounge," Pansy muttered, rolling her eyes expressively. She wandered back through into hallway, and collided head-on with Draco.

"Oh! There you are!" he exclaimed, a smirk spreading onto his face.

"What's up?"

"I have an extremely important question to ask you."

"Go on?"

Draco cleared his throat. "Do you think a House Elf could beat a Goblin in a fight?" Pansy looked behind Draco and into the drawing room, where she could see Dobby the House Elf cleaning a pine wood table with a dirty rag.

She grinned.


	11. Painful Truths (RemusTonks)

**Painful Truths**

 **Pairing:** Remus/Tonks, Sirius **  
Word Count:** 440 **  
** **Written For:  
** \- Potions Class Challenge: Calming Draught - Write about Remus Lupin.  
\- September Event, prompt: (plot) Making an enemy  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank: (proverb) "A dog is a man's best friend.", (John Green Quotes) "Scared isn't a good excuse. Scared is the excuse everyone has always used.", (colour) Magenta

* * *

Tonks's hair was magenta when she walked through the door from her day in Diagon Alley.

It wasn't going to be for much longer.

As he waited in the living room for Nymphadora to come in, he tried to stop himself placing internal bets on what colour her hair would change to after she heard the news. He wondered if perhaps he could hold the news off a little longer—but he couldn't. Sirius's voice echoed in his head.

" _It's time to tell her the truth. It's not fair. She's my baby cousin, Remus."_

He sighed.

"Oh, hey!" Tonks sounded surprised when she walked into the dimly lit living room to see Remus sitting in there alone. "What are you doing sitting down here in the dark?"

"Tonks, can you sit down?"

"I've been at Mum's all morning," Tonks continued, having apparently not heard Remus. "Can you believe that Dad's had to leave home? I hate this."

Great. Just what Remus needed in the face of his confession—knowing that Tonks was already struggling because of her father having to hide from Voldemort and his followers. "Tonks, please."

"I mean, Mum's in bits, naturally."

"Tonks."

"But I told her she can come around here any time she likes—we have all these rooms, why not—"

"—I've been having an affair!"

Tonks froze on the spot, and turned to stare at Remus, her mouth hanging open. "Who with?" she said quietly, after what seemed like an age of silence.

Remus looked at his fingers. "Sirius."

"You've been having an affair with a _man?"_ shrieked Tonks, dropping the bags the she had been carrying. Various groceries sprang free of the plastic bags and scattered across the floor. "You've been having an affair with my _cousin?"_

"Tonks, I'm really sorry. I've been meaning to tell you for weeks, but—"

"—for _WEEKS?"_

"I'm sorry, I am, I'm really sorry—"

"—no, I get it. I mean - a dog really is a man's best friend, right?" snarled Tonks. She pulled her wand out of her pocket, and Remus briefly thought that she was going to curse him—but instead she pointed it at the ceiling, and he heard what he assumed to be her suitcase tumbling out of the bedroom wardrobe. He swallowed uncomfortably, knowing full well that he hadn't been able to avoid making an enemy of Tonks in this situation. "I don't want to talk to you right now. I'm going to my mother's house."

"Really, I wanted to tell you. I was just scared."

Tonks shot Remus a pitiful glare. "Scared isn't a good excuse. Scared is the excuse everyone has always used."


	12. A Touch of Frost (SeverusFleur)

**A Touch of Frost**

 **Pairing:** Severus/Fleur  
 **Word Count:** 351  
 **Written For:  
** \- September Event, prompt: (plot) Interaction with a teacher.  
\- Potions Class Challenge: Pepperup Potion – A potion which cures the common cold. Write a story that takes place at Hogwarts in winter.

* * *

Severus was getting ready to clear up the Potions Classroom and leave, when she arrived.

It was freezing cold. The winter had hit Hogwarts hard this year, even more so than usual, and even an extra layer of clothing wasn't helping him generate any more heat. The Dungeons were the coldest part of the castle, so he was extremely surprised to see that she was wearing just a thin cardigan over her pyjamas.

"Miss Delacour," he greeted in a bored tone, eyeing her disdainfully. "What are you doing out of your sleeping quarters at this hour?" He noticed that she was clutching a handkerchief, and her nose was very red. Great purple bags were evident below her eyes, and her usually shiny, ice-blonde hair was lank and limp.

"Professor," she began in a thick voice. "I...if 'eet is not too much trouble...wondered if you might 'ave something for 'ze common cold."

Severus continued to observe her silently for a few more moments, before pivoting on the spot to face the shelf behind him. He found one small vial—something which he had planned to save for himself, when the inevitable winter cold was bestowed upon him. With an inward sigh, he snatched the vial from the shelf and spun back to face Fleur, holding it out in his palm. "This is a Pepperup Potion. It should have you feeling up to speed in no time. Take it before you go to sleep."

Fleur took the bottle from his hand, and Severus felt his skin freeze when her cold fingers grazed against his. " _Merci_ , Professor," she thanked him gratefully, and turned to head back to the door.

He watched as she hobbled towards the corridor, hugging herself as she did so. Her lips were turning blue. Severus groaned inwardly once again, immediately regretting what he was about to do.

Before he could change his mind, he had pulled his cloak from his person, and smartly wrapped it around Fleur's narrow shoulders. "I will escort you back to your sleeping quarters," he told her sternly. "You're going to catch your death."


	13. Divination Daydreams (FirenzeLavender)

**Divination Daydreams**

 **Pairing:** Lavender/Firenze  
 **Word Count:** 102  
 **Written For:  
** \- September Event, prompt: (dialogue) "Professor [insert name] is the only reason I'm taking the class."

* * *

Lavender sighed, resting her chin on her palm as she stared at Professor Firenze. With his lean torso, defined pectorals, bronze skin, his glossy hair, sharp jawline and glittering eyes, it was easy to forget that his body slowly progressed into that of a horse.

She sighed again, a little sadder this time. There was no way that a relationship would ever flourish between a witch and a half-breed.

"What's up with you?" muttered Seamus, who was sitting beside her.

"Professor Firenze is the only reason I'm taking this class," she murmured dreamily.

"I thought you loved Divination?"

Lavender shrugged. "I guess."


	14. Reflections (LuciusNarcissa)

**Reflections in Mirror Shards**

 **Word Count:** 485  
 **Written For:  
** \- Speed Drabble, prompts: (dialogue) "You are devoid of any feeling and emotion", (dialogue) "That's more hurtful than the Cruciatus!", (word) curse  
\- Ship Name Competition: Lucius/Narcissa

* * *

Narcissa lay flat on her back, as her older boyfriend crept up the expanse of her body. She couldn't help but roll her pale blue eyes contemptuously as Lucius pressed soft, feather light kisses on every visible inch of skin.

Her insides coiled when he carefully pushed the strap of her lavender nightdress down her shoulder, and his eyes snapped to her face. "What's the matter with you?" he asked in a whisper, a pink tinge spreading across his nose and cheeks.

"This is the third night in a row that you have crept into my house, Lucius," she replied airily. "My father will not want me to marry you if you are caught trying to bed me before our wedding night."

"Maybe you should keep your voice down then," murmured Lucius breathily, allowing his lips to nuzzle a spot on her collarbone.

"Maybe you should leave," Narcissa said clearly. "And wait until we are married—like I told you yesterday, and the day before that."

Lucius reeled back into a sitting position, folding his arms across his chest huffily. "You are _devoid_ of any feeling and emotion," he grumbled. "Why do you not want to make love to me? Rodolphus claims your sister is _extremely_ pliable when it comes to the boudoir—"

"—Well maybe you should have got in with Bellatrix before Rodolphus took her hand, then!" snapped Narcissa, flinging a cushion at Lucius. It hit him square in the face, and when removed, his face was redder than ever, his white-blonde hair looking unusually pale in contrast.

"That's not what I meant!" he exclaimed, struggling for words. "I'm just saying—I highly doubt that _Bellatrix_ waited until marriage to—you know—with Rodolphus."

"I do not care what my sister did with Rodolphus," Narcissa stated. She had no interest in being intimate with Lucius, and had even less of an interest in being with him at all. She knew that Lucius had quite a crush on her, but so far, Narcissa did not reciprocate his feelings. When Lucius had proposed properly in their dining room three weeks ago, Narcissa had accepted the gesture, while her father had looked on proudly.

She was the apple of her father's eye, and she would do anything to keep him happy. Even if it meant marrying Abraxas Malfoy's only snobby, egotistical son.

"I have no interest in _sleeping_ with you until the time comes for us to procure a son," Narcissa told him. "So you may as well forget trying for now."

Lucius's face fell considerably, but not even a flicker of pity passed over Narcissa's heart. "That's more hurtful than the Cruciatus," he murmured, looking as though he had well and truly received the curse.

"I'll see you at your family dinner on Friday," bade Narcissa in a manner of goodbye, and turned over in bed, listening as her fiancée slipped back out of the window.


	15. Bambi Eyes (NarcissaHermione)

**Bambi Eyes**

 **Pairing:** Hermione/Narcissa  
 **Word Count:** 316  
 **Written For:  
** \- Speed Drabble: (pairing) Narcissa/Hermione, (word) Toffee, (word) Ambition  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank: Lyric Quote - "There she was my new best friend, high heels in her hands, swayin' in the wind, while she starts to cry, mascara running down her little bambi eyes: "Lana, how I hate those guys"" - _This is What Makes Us Girls, Lana Del Rey_ / Narcissa pairings: Narcissa/Hermione

* * *

 _There she was my new best friend, high heels in her hands, swayin' in the wind, while she starts to cry, mascara running down her little bambi eyes_

Narcissa peered through the foggy class of her drawing room window. It was coming dark outside, but she could make out the shadow of a figure coming closer. Throwing down her needlework into the seat beside her and swallowing the toffee that she had been chewing, she climbed to her feet and wandered over to the glass doors. When they were open, she stepped out onto the balcony.

Hermione Granger stood in the gardens of the Malfoy Manor, her bushy hair raked back dramatically as though she had been running her fingers through it all afternoon. Mascara streaks stained her puffy red cheeks and eyes, and she was barefoot. In her hand, she was carrying her high heels by the straps.

"Hermione?" Narcissa called out, catching the girl's attention. Narcissa and Hermione had quickly become unusual friends after the fall of Voldemort, especially as Narcissa had been left alone once Lucius had been reprimanded back to Azkaban, and Draco had swiftly left the family home. It was during one of Hermione's first Ministry jobs had been to inspect the Malfoy Manor for further traces of dark magic, that they had discovered the sparks of a friendship developing between them.

"I hate him!" Hermione cried up to Narcissa, her eyes welling up with fresh tears. Narcissa didn't have to ask to know that she was talking about Ron—she had been going on a date with him this afternoon. Narcissa closed the glass doors carefully and hurried downstairs to let Hermione in.

But she couldn't help but smile before opening the front door. Hermione must have finally broken up with Ron; the Weasley brat who had nowhere near as much talent or ambition as Hermione did.

All was well.


	16. Surprise, Surprise (DudleyCho)

**Surprise, Surprise**

 **Pairing:** Dudley/Cho  
 **Written For:  
** \- Speed Drabble: "How do you feel about that?", "If you want to do it, do it.", must  
\- January Event: Dudley/Cho  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Romance Genre: (word) Lingerie, (word) Engagement Ring  
 **Word Count:** 400

* * *

Cho stood in the bathroom of the hotel room that she and Dudley were staying at, turning around and staring at herself in the mirror. She felt awkward and uncomfortable wearing the tiny lingerie set that Marietta had insisted that she wear. As soon as Dudley had shyly suggested that he and Cho go for a romantic meal and spend the night in a lavish hotel afterwards, Marietta had managed to convince Cho that Dudley was going to pop the question.

She sighed loudly, trying to pull the skimpy knickers over her rear. She had piled on the pounds whilst being with Dudley for the last twelve months—he was a head chef at a local restaurant, and he had a knack for cooking greasy Italian food that Cho _loved_. The extra weight she was carrying didn't make her feel any more confident.

"What are you doing in there, Cho?" Dudley called from the bedroom, making her flinch.

"I'll be two minutes. I have a surprise for you," she replied, automatically regretting telling him. It meant that she _had_ to go through with it, now. "How do you feel about that?"

Dudley was quiet for a moment. "Well, I love surprises. You know that."

"What if it's an embarrassing surprise?" Cho continued, slapping her stomach gently.

She heard Dudley chuckle. "If you want to do it, do it. If you don't, don't. I'm not going to make you do anything."

" _Must_ you be so irritating," Cho muttered to herself. She had hoped that Dudley would insist on her coming straight out so that she could get it over with. Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself, and walked out into the bedroom.

...And immediately collided with Dudley, who was kneeling on the floor in front of the bathroom door. She doubled over him, and they both fell to the carpet. "Ouch!" Cho yelped, feeling something sharp jabbing into her stomach. She reeled back, and Dudley held out the object—it was a little black velvet box, with a dainty diamond engagement ring sitting in the centre.

"I had a surprise for you too," he garbled, his cheeks glowing red.

Cho rose her eyebrows, stunned—though, Marietta had been right. A small smile spread across her face, and she threw herself towards Dudley, throwing her arms around his neck. "I love surprises, too," she whispered into his ear. "Of course I'll marry you."


	17. Autumn of Love (SiriusRemus)

**Autumn of Love**

 **Pairing:** Sirius/Remus  
 **Written For:  
** \- Speed Drabble: "Your feet are freezing!" "Would you like chocolate with that?" Demanding  
\- January Event: Sirius/Remus  
\- 2016 Monthly Prompt Challenge (January): (season) Autumn  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/My Mad Fat Diary: "I find you intensely irritating some days."  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Harry Potter Pick Up Lines: "You know, the Sorting Hat placed me in Gryffindor. I think it's because like Godric himself, I too have an impressive sword."  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Love & Relationship Quotes: "I've fallen in love many times... always with you."  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/HP Locations: Remus Lupin's Cottage  
 **Word Count:** 458

* * *

A sharp tap on the bedroom door caused nineteen-year-old Remus to look up from the book he was reading, staring at the door questioningly. It swung open almost immediately, and his boyfriend stood in the doorway.

He was gripping the door frame with both hands, and leaning against it in a falsetto-seductive manner, staring at Remus with hooded eyes. "You know, the Sorting Hat placed me in Gryffindor."

"Yes, he did," Remus replied blandly.

Sirius began to stalk slowly towards Remus, who was sitting on the bed. "I think it's because—like Godric himself - I too have an _impressive sword_." He stopped beside the bed, his groin on head-level with Remus.

Remus glared up at Sirius, trying to look annoyed, but the corners of his lips were being tugged up into a grin. "I find you intensely irritating some days," he muttered, turning his attention back to his book. "Just because my parents are spending the weekend in Devon doesn't mean that you have to turn into a sex maniac."

Sirius laughed and threw himself down on the bed beside Remus. "It was nice of them to let me come and stay with you in their cottage. And..." Sirius reached over and ran his finger across the back of Remus's hand, slightly hesitantly. "Are you sure that they're okay? With _us,_ I mean?"

Remus gave Sirius a very pointed look over the brim of his book. "Sirius, their son is a werewolf. A lot changed for them when I was bitten. Having a homosexual for a son is _nothing_ compared to having a werewolf one. You know much they like you."

With another chuckle, Sirius pulled back the covers and slid into bed with Remus, wrapping his arms around his torso and curling up his legs.

"For Merlin's sake!" gasped Remus, almost throwing his book across the room in shock. "Your feet are freezing!"

"I need to put them between your thighs to warm them up," whined Sirius childishly, though he was grinning.

"It's the middle of autumn, why aren't you wearing any slippers?" Remus demanded to know.

"I don't need slippers, I have you!"

Eventually, Remus caved in, dropping his book and allowing Sirius to wrap himself around him comfortably. "Would you like some chocolate with that ham?" he asked his boyfriend patronisingly, though he wasn't really being short with him. Sirius grinned.

"Do you love me, Remus?"

Remus's expression softened. No matter how much Sirius annoyed him on an almost daily basis, he would never be able to stop his feelings for the boy. He nestled into Sirius, placing his head on his chest so that his heartbeat thrummed rhythmically in his ear. "I've fallen in love many times, Sirius," he murmured. "Always with you."


	18. When Cedric Met Luna (CedricLuna)

**Written For:**

\- Speed Drabble: canvas, badge, "I can't believe that you lost it."

\- February Event: (emotion/feeling) Comforted, (title) When [insert name] Met [insert name]

\- Word Prompt Express: lost

 **Pairing:** Cedric/Luna

 **Word Count:** 408

* * *

 **When Cedric Met Luna**

"I can't _believe_ that you lost it!" snapped a familiar Irish voice. Luna was sitting in an alcove on the third floor corridor, and she pulled her legs into the shadows as footsteps echoed down the hallway. "That was a limited edition Tutshill Tornadoes badge, Cedric! They only gave out five of those last year!"

It was Cho Chang. Luna knew her vaguely, as they were both in Ravenclaw, but she had only ever exchanged a few words with her. Cedric was a sixth year student from Hufflepuff, who was definitely well known at the moment for his position in the Triwizard Tournament. Although he and Cho had never specified that they were in a relationship, Luna speculated that she definitely assumed she was his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry," Cedric's smooth, deep voice replied. "It was a stupid move. I just wanted to show the guys—"

"—I'm going to bed," Cho declared, and she swished past Luna's alcove, her robes flapping behind her. Luna knew that Cho hadn't spotted her—even if Luna had been sitting in full view, Cho still probably wouldn't have noticed her. No one ever did.

Luna peered out of her alcove to get a better look at Cedric. He was staring after Cho, looking downcast. His sharp jawline clenched suddenly, his grey eyes spiralling in Luna's direction. "What are you doing down there?"

Luna flinched, and she caught sight of her reflection in a dusty old mirror on the wall opposite. Her expression was a blank canvas, illuminated by the moonlight that flooded in through a high window on the corridor, making her look quite ghostly. She automatically felt bad for giving Cedric a fright, and she shuffled out of her alcove towards him. "Sorry," she apologised, meeting his eyes with hers.

His eyes flickered down to the blue stripes on her tie and the eagle on the crest of her robes. "You're in Ravenclaw. Cho's house."

Luna nodded. "I'm sorry to say that I'm not friends with Cho, so delivering a message to her might not be the best option."

Cedric raised an eyebrow, looking momentarily confused, but realisation spread across his face after a moment, and he laughed. "Oh, no. Sorry, I was just..."

"Thinking out loud?" Luna offered, and Cedric nodded.

"I suppose I should get down to the Hufflepuff Commons, then," Cedric murmured, reaching behind his head to awkwardly rub the back of his head. Luna smiled wanly, taking this as her cue to leave. He looked a lot more comforted than he had when Luna first noticed him, and she found herself hoping that she'd had that effect on him. She turned on her heel and commenced steadily walking in the direction that Cho had run. "Hey, wait!" he called, and Luna glanced back at him. "What's your name?"

Luna's smile widened. "Luna," she told him. "Luna Lovegood."


	19. Barn Owls (RemusLily)

**Written For:**

\- Chocolate Frog Cards: Owl (challenge): Write about Owl Post.

\- February Event: (emotion/feeling) Sensitive, (colour) Coral

\- Word Prompt Express: black

 **Pairing:** Remus/Lily

 **Word Count:** 702

* * *

 **Barn Owls**

"Thanks for walking down to the Owlery with me, Remus," Lily Evans said to her friend and fellow prefect, Remus Lupin. "I hate going back up to the castle when it's dark."

"You're not bothered about Mulciber and his gang, are you?" Remus commented. "Because we could always visit McGonagall's office if they're giving you any trouble."

Lily rolled her green eyes expressively. "Of course not. I don't like the dark because one of those bigoted idiots is always lurking around the castle. If they bump into me and give me a fright, who knows what I could do to them," she flashed her eyes mischievously at Remus. "I'm just scared of hurting them."

Remus laughed, and waved his hand towards a familiar black-and-brown owl that was sitting on a nearby rafter. It flew down towards him and stuck out it's leg, allowing Remus to fasten a letter to it carefully. _'Hope & Lyall' _was spelled out on the parchment and nothing else, but the bird still jumped out of Remus's hand and flew out of the brick window.

Lily smiled at the owl as it ascended into the sky until it was nothing but a black fleck on the darkening horizon, and headed over to a cluster of plain-looking barn owls that she knew were for anyone's use. She cocked a finger towards the closest one, and it allowed her to stroke it's feathery head gently. "You know, I've never got to grips with owls."

Remus furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Lily shrugged and withdrew two letters from her pocket, each one of which she had written the full addresses out on. "How does he know where the address is?"

"They're very clever birds," observed Remus. "I don't think they can _read_ as such, but I think they know where _you_ want to deliver the letter. Perhaps it's a sub-concious thing?" Remus moved closer to Lily, and noticed that one of the letters had a coral-coloured lipstick stain in the corner. His heart did a little jolt—was she sending a letter to a crush? A boyfriend back home, perhaps?

It was no secret that James Potter had his heart set on Lily Evans, but Remus couldn't help his feelings. He'd been attracted to her for a long time, and had only grown closer and more attached to her warm personality whilst they had been prefects, meaning that they were spending much more time together. He adored the way she laughed at the little things he said, and her deep, sea-green eyes always observed him intently when he talked. He knew she was listening to him—something that his other friends rarely did. Whilst James, Sirius and Peter were all wonderful friends to him, he knew that they weren't often with him on an emotional level.

Remus was just a lot more sensitive, and he knew that she appreciated that about him. He wasn't boisterous like Sirius and James, or clingy like Peter. And even though he would never break the 'guy-code' and make a move on Lily, he didn't see much harm in admiring her from afar.

"Whose the kiss for?" he asked, after inwardly composing himself. She smiled.

"Oh, this letter is for Petunia," she told him quietly. "She hasn't written to me...ever. But I still send her a letter every now and then. This was the lipstick that she gave me for Christmas. It was probably just one of her old ones, but..." Lily tailed off, and Remus didn't probe her further. He knew that her sister was always a touchy subject. "Anyway," she continued, and hastily tied the letters to the barn owl's leg. "At least I don't need to bother writing addresses in future. Thanks for telling me about owl post, Remus."

"I didn't really tell you much," Remus replied shyly, his heart fluttering slightly. "Let's go back up to the castle."

"Yeah," Lily muttered, and let the owl jump up from its perch and head for the open sky. She flashed her signature cheeky grin in Remus's direction, and he knew already that her emotional moment was over. "Who knows—maybe we'll catch Mulciber on the way. Would I _love_ to give him detention..."


	20. Friends With Benefits (RonRomilda)

**Written For:**

\- February Event: (title) Friends With Benefits, (emotion/feeling) Provocative

\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Sex and the City: (word) Abso-fucking-lutely, (word) Couple

\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Secret Diary: (dialogue) "We all want to be held.", (dialogue) "Well, I've always been a bit of a tart.", (word) Exclusive, (word) Proposal, (plot/action) Waking up with someone else in your bed

\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Vampire Diaries: "So much testosterone, so few brain cells."

\- Word Prompt Express: juice

 **Pairing:** Ron/Romilda

 **Word Count:** 527

* * *

 **Friends With Benefits**

Things hadn't really meant to progress with Romilda, but Ron couldn't control everything. Even though Professor Slughorn made sure that the love potion was well and truly out of his system, the after-effects didn't leave his brain right away. He found himself noticing his fellow Gryffindor, wondering how something as simple as a bit of pink juice could've made him so attracted to her.

It was a little while after his awkward break-up from Lavender that Ron found himself cornered in an archway by Romilda. He was confused over the sudden overflow of emotions he'd been experiencing, and she was soft, warm, pliable, with husky, provocative eyes that seemed to lure him in. His lips found their way to her plump ones very quickly, his hands in her long, brown hair.

Ron didn't really remember what happened after that, but somehow he woke up in his bed with Romilda by his side. At first he panicked—after all, there wasn't much privacy in the boys dormitories—but Romilda had woken up and calmed him, assuring him that she had performed adequate silencing charms around the canopy of his bed.

He had thought the aftermath of the encounter would be awkward at the least, but Romilda was surprisingly confident. "I have a proposal I'd like to extend your way," she told him as she searched amongst the sheets for her underwear. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"I'm a bit young to get married," he countered, as a shaky kind of joke. Romilda just gave him a sharp glare.

"So much testosterone, so few brain cells," she muttered breezily. "I'm asking you if you want to make this," she gestured between the two of them. "A regular occurrence."

Ron leaned back, scratching the back of his head. As much as the perks of having a girlfriend made a relationship pleasant, he just couldn't bear the thought of another Lavender situation. He'd only just sorted things out with Hermione and Harry and stopped making fun of him by calling him 'Won-Won'. Did he really want to have to go back and deal with all of that again? "I don't know, Romilda," he started. "I only just split up from Lavender."

Romilda laughed, a little harshly, Ron thought. "I don't want to be a _couple_ , Ron," she scoffed, as if the notion was ridiculous. She leaned forwards towards him, and he was overcome with her scent of last nights perfume. A sudden hot flash passed over him; a vision of tangled limbs, wet kisses, lusty moans... "I'm offering friendship. An _exclusive_ friendship."

"Oh," Ron murmured, feeling himself waking up down below as she awkwardly straddled him. "In that case...yes. Okay. Abso-fucking-loutely."

He was only a guy, after all. What kind of guy was going to turn down a friendship like that?

"Why..." he murmured as Romilda leaned over and started to kiss his neck, her tresses of hair falling over his face. "Why do you want this exclusive friendship?"

Romilda shrugged. "We all want to be held," she replied. Before the moment could become to awkward or silent, she kept talking. "And anyway. I've always been a bit of a tart."


	21. Hold Your Own (MerlinMorgana)

**Written For:**

\- Chocolate Frog Cards: Morgana le Fay (challenge): Write about Morgana le Fay.

\- February Event: (lyric) "If it's a broken part, replace it, if it's a broken arm, then brace it, if it's a broken heart, then face it." - Jason Mraz, (lyric) "I count your eyelashes secretly. With every one, I whisper 'I love you'." - REM, (object) Box of Chocolates

\- Word Prompt Express: count

 **Pairing:** Morgana/Merlin

 **Word Count:** 612

* * *

 **Hold Your Own**

"I count your eyelashes secretly," Merlin whispered through the dark. He could just see the pale, glowing skin of Morgana, the woman he had both loved and hated with equal measure. "With every one I whisper...I love you." He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her stone-cool lips.

It had taken every last ounce of his strength to put an end to Morgana's evil wrath. Now that the deed was done, Merlin couldn't help but reminisce.

* * *

 _Ravenclaw and Slytherin often had Potions Class together, and Morgana and Merlin had found themselves as regular partners. Whilst Merlin had a natural knack for Potions, Morgana often struggled in that aspect, so she appreciated the help._

 _She was clumsy and flat on her feet as a second year, and it didn't take long before she had caused an accident. She had been on her way back to their desk with a set of tongs, her parchment and a ceramic mortar—she was carrying too much, as usual. It only took one slip, and she went soaring to the floor, the ceramic mortar crashing down in front of her._

 _Her eyes had filled with tears instantly, embarassed was she of the scene she caused. Merlin was the only one to hurry forwards and lean down to help her up, his lips brushing her ear as he did so. "If it's a broken part, replace it," he murmured quietly, and she watched as he easily fixed the mortar in front of him with a spell they had recently learned in Charms._

* * *

 _Neither Merlin nor Morgana had any interest in playing Quidditch themselves, but they often went down to the pitch during matches to support their houses. They would sit together in at the bottom of the field, as it was deemed innappropriate for Merlin to join Morgana in the Ravenclaw stands, or her to join him with the other Slytherins._

 _They were in their fifth year and watching a particularly long-drawn out match, when Morgana finally got bored of waiting for the game to end. She claimed that she had an essay to finish before tomorrow, and she climbed up from her place on the grass, beginning to head back up to the castle._

 _As she did so, a Beater on the team awkwardly aimed a Bludger in the wrong direction, and it was sent hurtling towards Morgana. No one could do anything to stop it, and it came into square contact with her upper arm._

 _Morgana was sent soaring to the ground with the force of the blow, and her eyes filled with tears as the pain coursed through her body. Merlin was the first to her side, and he took her tender arm in his hands._

 _He didn't yet have the skill to mend her bones by magic, but he did the quickest thing that came natural to him. "If it's a broken arm, then brace it," he told her soothingly, as he tore a strip of material from his robes and used it as a makeshift sling for Morgana's arm._

* * *

 _They had left Hogwarts by the time Merlin finally had the nerve to propose marriage to Morgana. He had brought her pretty jewels, garnished her wardrobe with fancy clothes, sent boxes of expensive chocolates to her door. Finally, he brought a ring in a velvet box, and knelt down in front of her._

 _Merlin didn't expect her to laugh in his face. He hadn't realised how cruel she had become over the years._

 _When he asked her why, she leaned forward, her breath hot on his ear._

" _If it's a broken heart, then face it."_

* * *

And now she was gone.


	22. Break Your Fall (DobbyWinky)

**Written For:**

\- Hogwarts Funfair/Hook-a-Duck: Red Duck (pairing) Dobby/Winky

 **Pairing:** Dobby/Winky

 **Word Count:** 259

* * *

 **Break Your Fall**

Dobby watched Winky from across the kitchen. It was quiet now, all the other House-Elves of Hogwarts had finished work in the kitchens, they were either scurrying around the castle doing last minute jobs, or were getting themselves ready for bed. Only Winky usually remained here, swaying over a pint of Butterbeer.

This time, Dobby waited with her. He waited and waited until she had drunk herself into a stupor, and was staggering around in front of the large broiler. "Winky!" he called out. The female elf spun around slowly, the burnt, frayed edges of her blue skirt swishing. She hadn't gotten redressed for a long time, and it was only due to having nothing else to wear that she had accepted the clothes from Professor Dumbledore at all. Dobby sighed, wishing he could help his friend out of her depression.

"What does you want?" she slurred, her huge brown eyes looking cloudy. "Go away, Dobby."

"Dobby will take Winky to bed," insisted Dobby, reaching out to grab her arm.

"No!" she yelled, snatching her arm away. "Winky can get _herself_ to bed." To prove her point, she began staggering away from the broiler. She only managed two steps, before overbalancing.

Dobby lunged out and grabbed Winky by the hand before she could fall to the floor, and she reeled back, blinking. "Thank you," she mumbled.

"Dobby will wait however long it takes for Winky to get better," Dobby told her, a wide smile gracing his bat-like features. "Dobby will always catch Winky when she falls."


	23. Velvet (LuciusHermione)

**Written For:**

\- Hogwarts Funfair/Dunk Tank: Written for HP Slash Luv, (prompt) Jealousy

 **Pairing:** Lucius/Hermione

 **Word Count:** 302

* * *

 **Velvet**

Hermione glowered at her partner of two years through the mirror. She was sitting on the bed, whilst Lucius sat at the dressing table, brushing his long, platinum hair back into a ponytail. His icy blue stare met with hers, and he rolled his eyes dismissively.

"Don't look at me like that, sweetheart."

Hermione pouted. "I just don't know why you have to go. You're not _married_ to her anymore."

Lucius turned around in the chair to face Hermione. He was dressed smartly in a black pinstripe suit and leather shoes, and there was a velvet black ribbon holding back his hair. Hermione sighed. It was hard to remain irritated with this man when he took her breath away with every glance.

"Draco and Astoria are pregnant, Hermione," he told her, even though she already knew. "They have requested that Narcissa and I entertain them for dinner. We still have a child together, Hermione, and now we soon will have a _grandchild."_ He paused. "You know that you are welcome to join us. I'm sure Narcissa won't mind."

Hermione sucked in her bottom lip. She knew that Narcissa most certainly _would_ mind, and frankly, she didn't want to sit in either hers or Draco Malfoy's presence. "No, I don't need to come," she sighed, throwing herself back on the bed. "I just worry that you're going to remember how much you loved Narcissa and leave me..."

Her voice trailed off as Lucius leaped towards her suddenly, with the speed and agility of a cat. He hovered over her, and she breathed in his unique smell—like freshly cut grass and sea salt. He leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "Don't be jealous of Narcissa, sweetheart," he purred, his voice resonating through her. "You're the only woman for me."


	24. First Date (BillFleur)

**Written For:**

\- Hogwarts Funfair/Apple Bobbing: (scenario) Fleur and Bill's first date.

 **Pairing:** Bill/Fleur

 **Word Count:** 250

* * *

 **First Date**

Bill coughed into his hand, nervously sniffing his palm in an attempt to check that his breath didn't smell. His red hair was slicked back into a neat ponytail, and he had made a concious effort to dress smartly. The tearoom that he was sitting in was decorated almost entirely in pink, and it was quite nauseating - but this was the place that she had chosen to meet him, so he was willing to deal with it.

As if knowing how little he appreciated the décor, a portrait of a fluffy Persian cat above his table seemed to smirk at him.

And then all of a sudden, the chatter in the room seemed to die out. He tore his eyes away from the cat, and looked over to the door. Fleur Delacour was there, looking a vision in a periwinkle summer dress, with her pale blonde hair fashioned in an intricate, plaited bun. She smiled warmly when she spotted him, and Bill felt his heart leap.

He felt _honoured_ to be in her presence. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen, and he couldn't believe his luck. As she approached the table, he straightened the knot of his tie and jumped up to pull out her chair.

She allowed him to kiss her knuckles when they sat back down, and Bill beamed at her. So far, their first date was going well. He could only hope that there would be many more to come.


	25. Spearmint Toothpaste (CedricPenelope)

**Written For:**

\- Hogwarts Funfair/Hedge Maze: (pairing) peneople/cedric

\- Flash Fiction Competition 16/06/16: (object) toothpaste

 **Pairing:** Cedric/Penelope

 **Word Count:** 443

* * *

 **Spearmint Toothpaste**

"Pine fresh!" Penelope Clearwater yelled as she bustled towards the Prefects bathroom, her toiletry bag under her arm. The door swung open, and she flew in, slamming it shut behind her. "Phew," she breathed, leaning back against the door. She knew that Cedric Diggory, one of the Hufflepuff prefects, usually took his evening bath around this time, and she wanted to get in first.

She ambled up to the mirror, taking note of how steamed up the bathroom was. She must have just slipped in as someone had finished, as the room was still hot and the mirror was foggy. Rolling her eyes, she started to take out her necessities: a bathrobe, a towel, a washcloth, her toothbrush and toothpaste. Once that was done, she stripped out of her clothes and wrapped her fluffy bathrobe around her, opting to comb out her hair and brush her teeth before climbing in the tub.

She squeezed a small amount of spearmint toothpaste onto her brush, ran it under the cold tap, then proceeded to brush her teeth.

"Excuse me?"

The sudden male voice caused Penelope to whip around, and automatically fling whatever she happened to be holding in her hand—the toothbrush. It flew through the air, and then hit Cedric Diggory squarely in the forehead, leaving a splodge of bright blue toothpaste on his skin.

Cedric was sitting in the bathtub, mostly obscured by bubbles (thankfully). He lowered himself further so that only his head was visible, but Penelope still flushed. "Diggory?" she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"What are you doing in here?" he demanded to know. She could see that his visible skin was glowing red, and she was sure it wasn't just because of the hot water.

"Coming to take a bath, obviously!" she snapped. "What are _you_ doing in here?"

"Well, I was here first."

"I see that," Penelope muttered. She glanced over at the door. "I just don't understand why the door let me in if someone was in here!" She seemed to mull over the idea for a few moments, before awkwardly making eye contact with Cedric again. Her eyes lingered on the toothpaste stain on his forehead. "You've...er, you've got some..." she gestured to her own head.

Cedric wiped it off and then looked at his hand. When he looked back up and noticed that Penelope was still standing there awkwardly, he splashed her wildly. "Are you going to leave so I can get out?"

Penelope arched an eyebrow. "I can do. If you want me to."

Cedric paused. "I won't tell anyone if you don't."

* * *

 **A.N:** I know that Penelope would be older than Cedric at his time of being a Prefect, but for the sake of this drabble I'm writing them as the same age!


	26. Paperclips (NevilleHannah)

**Written For:**

\- Hogwarts Funfair/Horse Race: (prompt) Paperclip

\- Flash Fiction Competition 18/06/16: (pairing) Neville/Hannah

 **Pairing:** Neville/Hannah

 **Word Count:** 329

* * *

 **Paperclips**

Neville grumbled as he stacked together the sheet of parchment pieces that Hannah had thrown in his direction. Managing the Leaky Cauldron already wasn't an easy job, but while Hannah was poorly, things were made even more difficult.

Normally, Hannah managed all of the paperwork and accounts side of things. Neville's responsibility was lugging the delivery boxes in, cooking in the kitchen and filling up the beer barrels. Hannah maintained front of house, whilst also keeping the whole inn in check.

"Hannah, I can't do this," Neville shouted across the bar, exasperated. Hannah was sitting alone in a booth near the bar, pressing an ice pack to her aching head. Neville hated bothering her while she was so ill - he knew that she'd been dealing with a shocking headache, as well as an unbelievable amount of nausea every morning. "How am I supposed to keep them all together without getting them stuck? I don't want to have to use a sticking charm...I was never that good at those..."

"I gave you some paperclips!" Hannah shouted. "Use them to hold the pages together."

"Paper... _what?"_ Neville thumbed through the pages until he discovered the small pot of tiny, metal clips. "What on earth are these?"

Hannah jumped up from her seat, before storming over to the bar to see what Neville was doing. "It's a Muggle device," she snapped irritably, snatching the paperclips out of Neville's hand and grabbing one out of the pot. Neville watched, awestruck, as Hannah folded the corner of the page inside the smaller section of the metal clip. She held it up afterwards, demonstrating how the pages were now clipped together neatly.

She was trying to remain irritable and annoyed, but her expression softened at the way Neville's mouth hung open. "Amazing, Muggles are," he muttered, taking the stack of pages from Hannah and beginning to stick the paperclips to the corners of every couple. "Sometimes, I think they're more magical than we are."


	27. Sunday Afternoons (RonHermione)

**Written For:**

\- The Restricted Section: Guideline - Write a Ron/Hermione story.

\- The Investment Building Challenge/Dialogue: "Why is there a squid in the kitchen?"

 **Pairing:** Ron/Hermione

 **Word Count:** 434

* * *

 **Sunday Afternoons**

"Hermione!"

"Mum, you're not going to _believe_ this!"

"Dad caught such a weird thing!"

Hermione pressed her fingers to her temples. She had just sat down on the couch, with the latest edition of the _Quibbler_ on her lap and a cup of hot cocoa in her hands. Sunday afternoon was the only time during the week that Hermione had entirely to herself, especially since Ron had taken up fishing in the stream at the bottom of the hill.

He'd discovered a fishing rod amongst his dad's things, and after a long, boring lesson from Mr. Granger, Ron had picked up the basics. He took Rose and Hugo along to fish at Hermione's request, and they seemed to enjoy it, despite the fact that Ron was yet to catch anything more than a mouldy old boot.

"Hermione, I've put it in the sink. You've got to come and look at it. I've never seen anything like it! Can't be a Muggle creature, at all..."

At the words _creature_ and _sink_ , Hermione bolted up from her seat on the couch and practically flew into the kitchen. Three freckled faces grinned back at her from the sink, and Hermione advanced towards them with bated breath.

"I swear, Ronald, if you've put a dirty great trout in there with my dishes, I will...oh my God!" she shrieked, diving away from the sink. A swirling mass of black and tentacles filled the water in the sink. "Why is there a squid in the kitchen?!"

Ron looked dumbfounded. "Is that what it is?" he asked, sounding slightly downcast. "I thought they were meant to be bigger, like the one in the lake at Hogwarts."

"That was a Giant Squid, Ron!" Hermione yelled. "Get it out of here!"

"It's not harming anyone," Ron replied with a snigger, gently prodding the squid with his index finger. It wriggled around responsively, and Hermione let out another shrill shriek.

"I want to keep it, Mum," Hugo announced. "I'm going to name him Inky," he added proudly.

"No, _I_ want to keep him!" Rose protested. "And he's a she, actually!"

"No one is keeping the squid!" roared Hermione, breaking up the inevitable argument before it could start. "Your father is going to take it back down to the lake where it belongs. _Now!"_

Ron rolled his eyes at his children, and clucked his tongue. "Yes, ma'am," he replied dutifully. As he began scooping it out of the sink, Hermione shut herself back in the living room, leaning against the door to catch her breath.

She would have a relaxing Sunday afternoon yet.


	28. My Moon (NarcissaLuna)

**Written For:**

\- Connections Challenge #30: Narcissa/Luna

\- Investment Building Challenge - Dialogue Property/Level Three: "We don't have to pretend anymore."

\- Pocket Morty Challenge: Double Snoozle Morty - Write a slash/femmeslash pairing

 **Pairing:** Narcissa/Luna

 **Word Count:** 315

* * *

 **My Moon**

Narcissa first saw Luna when the younger girl was dragged, wide-eyed and confused, into the makeshift basement prison.

Frankly, Narcissa never even knew that she could be attracted to the fairer sex, but there was something hauntingly enthralling about those huge silver orbs. Narcissa wondered if the cold, glistening ocean was permanently reflected in those eyes. She wanted nothing more than to dive right into those peaceful waters, away from the mess that she had become entangled in.

Many nights when Lord Voldemort wasn't around and everyone else was sound asleep, Narcissa would sneak down to the basement to Luna. Sometimes she would just watch as Luna slept, or sometimes Luna would be awake, and she would just stare back, never speaking. Those great glassy eyes just observed her quietly, never judgemental—even though Narcissa had every right to be judged for her actions.

Eventually, they grew to speak. Narcissa found a great solace in Luna, and soon began to confide in her. She confessed all of her regrets, her wishes, her desires to abandon everything and run away. But she couldn't do that to her son, to Lucius.

But Luna made those desires seem just the slightest bit possible.

One day, Narcissa stretched through the bars and reached for Luna, who bowed her head and allowed Narcissa to stroke her hair. "You are my gift, Luna," Narcissa whispered softly, gently tugging at the tresses of blonde hair so that Luna would be forced to edge closer. She pulled Luna's head towards the bars and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. "My little moon. We don't have to pretend anymore, not when it's just you and me."

And Luna just smiled, always quiet, always only speaking rarely. Oh, how Narcissa longed to hear her opinion, or for her to respond to her advances. If only she could know what Luna Lovegood was thinking.


	29. Last Call (RogerRosmerta)

**Written For:**

\- Menagerie of Pairings Challenge: Roger/Rosmerta, (scenario) We were both stood up for a date.

\- September Event: (emotion) Miserable, (dialogue) "How was school today?" / "It was the worst day of my life, what do you think?"

 **Pairing:** Roger/Rosmerta

 **Word Count:** 376

* * *

 **Last Call**

Roger had been sat at his table at The Three Broomsticks for about half an hour too long. He'd nursed a Butterbeer until the foam had sunk into the drink, and he was no longer interest in sipping it. Clearly, the beautiful Fleur Delacour had stood him up.

Even though he had assured her that she could take a short cut out of the school to get to Hogsmeade privately, Fleur still hadn't bothered to make the effort to turn up to their date. Even though _every_ other teacher was too busy pussy footing around Harry Potter to care what any other student was doing, she still didn't have the nerve.

He sighed, choosing to cast his gaze around the bar instead. Finally, his eyes landed on a familiar face - someone who he enjoyed a harmless flirt with, now and then.

Rosmerta was leaning over the bar, resting her chin on her hand. She looked completely miserable, which wasn't normal for her. The barmaid was usually bubbly and bright, shouting her greets to anyone who walked into the bar, and eagerly serving her patrons drinks. In fact, Roger didn't think he'd ever seen her look so downcast.

He stood up from his seat and took his half-full tankard over to the bar, passing it across to her to dispose of. She smiled weakly, without the usual glint in her eye. "Hey, Roger," she greeted. "How was school today?"

"It was the worst day of my life, what do you think?" Roger grinned.

"You know you're not meant to be out of the castle at this time. I have an obligation to contact your head of house."

"Yeah, but you won't. You never do," Roger's grin widened, and the shadow of a smile flickered across her face. He was getting there. "So, who were you waiting for?"

"I wasn't waiting for anyone," Rosmerta replied. "I _live_ here. I work here."

"I can tell by the way you constantly keep looking at the door whenever it opens, and how you frown whenever it isn't who you want it to be."

"Okay, Smarty. Who were _you_ waiting for?"

"The Beauxbaton's champion," Roger sighed. "But it looks like we've both been stood up."

"I suppose it does."


	30. Sunflowers (DeanLuna)

**Written For:**

\- Menagerie of Pairings Challenge: Dean/Luna, (dialogue) "Yellow looks good on you.", (scenario) No one is dancing at this wedding, so I'm going to grab you and you'll dance with me

\- September Event: (word) Princess, (emotion) Nervous

 **Pairing:** Dean/Luna

 **Word Count:** 316

* * *

 **Sunflowers**

Dean grinned across the dance floor as his newly married friends had their first dance. Harry and Ginny were swaying together slowly to the music, staring lovingly into each other's eyes. As he watched them, he wondered if he would ever find someone to love as much as they clearly loved each other.

"Good evening, Dean," a flowery voice sounded from behind him. He spun around, coming face to face with another familiar face from his school days. Luna Lovegood stood, dressed from head-to-toe in a bright yellow gown, which was adorned with sunflowers. Another sunflower was clipped into her long, blonde hair. She looked like a summer princess. "They're quite lovely, aren't they?" she continued, looking out at Harry and Ginny. "Their affection for each other is so strong it's spreading across the entire party."

Dean just smiled. Clearly Luna's likeable oddity hadn't changed a bit. "Y-yeah," he coughed, feeling unusually nervous. He didn't know how he hadn't noticed how beautiful Luna was all those years ago.

"No one else is dancing, though," she went on. "I think it's about time people joined in." Before Dean could protest, Luna had gripped by the arm and swung him onto the dance floor with a strength he hadn't expected her to possess. Her arms circled around his neck, and he cautiously placed his hands on her waist, allowing her to lead their dance. "Do you like my dress?"

Dean blinked. "Of course. Yellow looks great on you."

"My father helped me sew it," she replied, smiling. "I'm sure yellow looks great on you, too."

Dean smiled back down at Luna, noticing out of the corner of his eye that other couples were beginning to mill onto the dance floor. He knew Luna wouldn't feel the same, but he was sure they were attracted to dance by her sparkling personality.

She was quite easily outshining the bride.


	31. Midnight Rendezvous (RemusNarcissa)

**Written For:**

\- Menagerie of Pairings Challenge: Remus/Narcissa, (dialogue) "It's not that easy."

\- September Event: (dialogue) "We spent a beautiful night together and I haven't heard from you since.", (location) Broom/Supplies Closet

\- The Investment Building Challenge/Dialogue Property: "It's already awkward. Don't make it more awkward."

 **Pairing:** Remus/Narcissa

 **Word Count:** 471

* * *

 **Midnight Rendezvous**

Remus held his breath as he turned the corner to their usual rendezvous spot, slowing his pace to almost a standstill. He hadn't ever felt this nervous before, but she had every reason to have an effect on his nerves. Especially after the week before last, when they had last met in this very spot.

It had been a wonderful night, and Remus had barely stopped to think about it since. Of course, he couldn't tell his friends—James would be flabbergasted, and she was Sirius's _cousin._ He didn't know whether they would taunt him or be angry with him.

After all, she was a 't she supposed to be the enemy?

He advanced upon the broom closet, and carefully slipped inside, enveloping himself in darkness. "Are you here?" he whispered, knowing better than to ignite his wand tip. She loved the darkness and the allure ofthe mysterious.

"You have sent me nearly ten letters, of course I am here. I can't ignore you any longer, can I," a feminine voice replied dryly.

Remus swallowed a lump in his throat. "We spent a beautiful night together and I haven't heard from you since. I'm…I'm sorry, this might be awkward."

"It's already awkward. Don't make it more awkward."

"It's not that easy."

"What do you want, Remus?" she sounded exhausted, though not from tiredness. As though she was fed up of this meeting already. She sounded much different to how she had the last time they were here.

(Her breath had been hot in his ear as he pressed his body flush against hers, feeling the heat in his face. He was glad that they were in total darkness, because he would sure he would collapse from nerves if she saw him.)

"Why have you been ignoring me?" He cursed himself for sounding so pathetic.

"It was just a _fling_ , Lupin. Get over it."

"Narcissa," he sounded strangled. "It wasn't just a fling to me."

She leaned forward. He felt her breath on his face and her hair tickle his neck. "You helped me with my Charms homework, so I repaid the favour. Just move on."

"I know you don't really feel that way," Remus felt angry that she would degrade herself so much. He thought that Blacks were supposed to be proud and haughty. He supposed in a way, this was her version. She was too proud to admit her feelings. "Just be honest."

"I can't be with you, okay?" she hissed suddenly. "You're…you're not right for me. And besides, my father has plans for me to marry someone else."

"We can work around it. We can run away."

Narcissa suddenly pushed him back, and his spine connacted roughly with the concrete wall behind him. "Get over it," she repeated sternly, before slipping out of the closet. "I already have."


	32. Driving Mister Minister(KingsleyCharlie)

**Written For:**

\- Menagerie of Pairings Challenge: Kingsley/Charlie, (dialogue) "Can I have a moment alone with [name]?"

\- September Event: (word) Exaggerate, (action) Being given/giving a driving lesson

 **Pairing:** Kingsley/Charlie

 **Word Count:** 333

* * *

 **Driving Mister Minister**

"Can I have a moment alone with the Minister?"

Kingsley Shacklebolt and Percy Weasley looked up from their paperwork, to the grinning face of Percy's olderbrother, Charlie. "Charlie!" Percy exclaimed, before walking over to shake his brother's hand in greeting. "You're back from Romania."

"I've decided to take a long holiday," Charlie replied, his brown eyes glimmering over Percy's shoulder in Kingsley's direction.

"What do you need to speak to the Minister for? I'm sorry to be quite so informal, but as his undersecretary it is my responsibility to let you know that he is _extremely_ busy right now—"

"No need to exaggerate, Percy," Kingsley interrupted warmly, smiling at Charlie. "I am due to meet with Charlie."

Percy looked dumbfounded. "You do?" He looked back to his brother, but didn't question the matter further—though it was obvious that he greatly wished to. "Well, in that case…I'll leave you both to it." He picked up his briefcase by the handle, and walked out of the office, gently closing the door behind him.

Charlie looked back at Kingsley, and Kingsley's smile widened. "Do you think he has any idea?"

Charlie grinned. "None at all," he murmured, edging closer to the Minister for Magic. "Now, lets get down to business."

oOo

"You know, I had a little something else in mind when you visited my office," Kingsley said an hour later, as he clutched the steering wheel of a small blue Sedan nervously. "It didn't include…what do you call this?"

"Driving," Charlie replied, and he grabbed the steering wheel to swiftly swerve around an oncoming car. "It's an important thing to learn these days—especially for the Minister for Magic. I love a broom, but there's nothing like driving a car."

"The Minister for Magic can apparate wherever he wishes," Kingsley grumbled, though it was good-naturedly.

Charlie rolled his eyes, smiling. "Honestly, you'll be glad you ever learned. Now come on—I see a parking space up ahead. It's time to try a three-point turn."


	33. Late Night Advice (RabastanAlice)

**Written For:**

\- Menagerie of Pairings Challenge: Rabastan/Alice, (scenario) Going for a late night walk when you can't sleep

\- September Event: (dialogue) "Being a teacher is the most worthy thing a person can be.", (location) Empty Classroom

 **Pairing:** Rabastan/Alice

 **Word Count:** 544

* * *

 **Late Night Advice**

Alice paced in front of the blackboard as she looked out at the empty, dark classroom, trying to imagine herself speaking to a room full of students. For as long as she could remember, she had known that she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. However, that dream had wavered a little when she had started her education at Hogwarts.

Her dream had been to teach young students, helping them finger-paint and trace letters and numbers, like her Muggle mother had done for her career. Of course, there was no wizarding school for preteens, and both her mother and father had high hopes that she would secure a good wizarding career.

After flipping through countless pamphlets during her Career's Advice session, her only option for teaching was to work at Hogwarts, or travel overseas to other magical schools.

She flinched suddenly at the sound of someone clearing their throat, and braced herself for a telling-off. However, her heart sunk when a familiar pale face loomed out of the darkness. Rabastan Lestrange—he was just one of the members of a gang of miscreants that made her friend Mary's life a misery. "Lestrange," she greeted coldly, glaring at him. "What are you doing out here?"

"I thought I would take a little late night stroll, as sleep isn't coming to me so easily this evening," Rabastan replied smoothly, gliding across the classroom towards her. Alice hated the way his thick, dark hair hung so neatly and glossily around his angled face, and she hated herself even more for feeling a twinge in her lower stomach when his eyes flickered towards her lips. "But I should ask the same of you."

"I am a prefect." Alice answered slightly pompously, though she wasn't so sure of herself. Even her prefect role wouldn't prevent her from discipline if she was caught out of the Gryffindor tower at this late hour.

Rabastan glanced to the teacher's desk, where one of the pamphlets from Alice's Career's Advice session lay. He grabbed it before Alice could stop him, and held it out of her reach. "Careers at Hogwarts…really?" he raised a thick, dark eyebrow, and Alice felt her face glowing.

"Give that back!" she hissed, jumping to try and snatch the pamphlet back. Rabastan laughed in response.

"What on earth would you want to be a teacher for?" Rabastan sneered. "Returning to this place…I can't think of anything worse."

"Being a teacher is the most worthy thing a person can be," Alice snapped, finally grabbing the pamphlet from between his fingers. "Not that you would know anything about self-worth." She turned on her heel, with the intent of heading towards the door and as far away from Rabastan as she could get, but he grabbed her arm.

"What did you say?" he said quietly, staring at her with cold, dark eyes. Alice could see the flicker of amusement in those ebony depths, and she wasn't about to let herself become afraid of him.

"You heard me," she replied quickly, and snatched her hand out of his grasp. "Goodnight, Lestrange."

As she flitted out of the empty classroom, leaving nothing but her powdery scent in the air, Rabastan smirked. He liked a girl who had some nerve.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** If you want to follow my progress, please like my Facebook page, Screaming Faeries. Link can be found on my profile page!


	34. French Script (GinnyGabrielle)

**Written For:**

\- Speed Drabble: (pairing) Ginny/Gabrielle, ink, (dialogue) "Stop wasting time thinking about things that don't matter."

\- September Event: (word) Future, (emotion) Exhausted

 **Pairing:** Ginny/Gabrielle

 **Word Count:** 384

* * *

 **French Script**

Stifling a yawn, Ginny crept into the study, where she could see her girlfriend writing hastily under the dim glow of candlelight. "Gabby, come to bed," she glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's nearly three in the morning. You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted," Gabrielle muttered, but she didn't look away from her parchment. "I'll be with you soon, _ma cherie_." Her tone was dismissive, though Ginny had no mind to leave her sitting there alone. She walked over to Gabrielle and placed a hand on the back of her shoulder, peering over at what Gabrielle was writing.

"What are you writing?" she asked, squinting at Gabrielle's elegant French script.

Her sudden question caused Gabrielle to jump, knocking the ink pot over. It spilled across the table and ruined the parchment, and Gabrielle groaned loudly. "Ah, _merde!_ Ginny, look what you 'ave made me do!" She turned to glare at her girlfriend, her wide blue eyes red-rimmed and bleary.

"Hey, no harm done," Ginny snatched Gabrielle's wand off the desk and waved it silently at the source of the mess. The ink sprang up from the parchment, reversing the damage it had done, and dribbled neatly back into the ink pot. Gabrielle relaxed considerably and reached for her quill, but Ginny placed her hand over the top of hers. "Whatever you're doing, it can wait until tomorrow."

"I was writing to _Mama,_ " Gabrielle murmured. "I wanted to finally tell her about…about us."

Ginny sighed. "You need to stop wasting time thinking about things that don't matter."

Once again, Gabrielle directed that dangerous glare at Ginny. "'Ow can you say that, hmm? This is our _future!_ I want _Mama_ to be a part of that future!"

"That's not what I meant," Ginny pulled Gabrielle up from the seat and wound her arms around her waist, clasping her hands at the small of Gabrielle's back. "Your mother loves you no matter what. The question of your sexuality isn't going to make her hate you."

"'Ow can you be so sure?"

Ginny grinned. "Because you're _Gabrielle._ You've had your parents wrapped around your finger since the day you were born."

Gabrielle attempted a smile, and buried her face into Ginny's shoulder. "Idiot," she muttered, but she pressed a kiss to Ginny's cheek nonetheless.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!** If you want to follow my progress, please like my Facebook page, Screaming Faeries. Link can be found on my profile page!


	35. A Frosty Reception (BlaiseDaphne)

**Written For:**

\- Menagerie of Pairings: Blaise/Daphne, (dialogue) "Marriage? Are you sure?"

\- September Event: (dialogue) "We need to talk privately." / "Anything you say to me, you can say in front of my friends.", (location) Hogsmeade

 **Pairing:** Blaise/Daphne

 **Word Count:** 415

* * *

 **A Frosty Reception**

Blaise watched the group of Slytherin girls from afar as they clustered outside the Three Broomsticks, giggling and gossiping. He had been following them around Hogsmeade for a few hours now, and he was still waiting for Daphne to spring apart from the gaggle of girls so that he could speak to her.

There was something he _really_ needed to ask her. A question so important, that her answer would no doubt change his life.

She hadn't been his mother's first choice. Mrs. Zabini preferred the more delicate features of Daphne's younger daughter, Astoria, and had commented that any children with Astoria would be much more bonny. But Blaise wasn't in charge of his heart, and neither was his mother.

They were in their seventh year now, and with everything that was going on with the war, there wasn't really any time to waste. Rolling his eyes, he began to walk over to the girls. "Why do they have to walk around in groups," he muttered under his breath.

"Hi, Blaise," Daphne greeted politely as he reached the group. The other girls around her tittered and collapsed into peals of girly laughter, and Blaise glared at them condescendingly. They were supposed to be on the verge of adulthood, but yet here they were, falling apart like children.

"Daphne," Blaise always had enjoyed the way her name rolled off his tongue. "We need to talk privately."

Daphne grinned, showing her slightly large front teeth. "Anything you say to me, you can say in front of my friends."

Casting another glance around the group of girls and their smug faces, Blaise resisted the urge to storm away angrily. Daphne was _never_ seen without a gaggle of friends, so it was unlikely that he would ever get the chance to catch her on her own. "Fine," he grumbled, and sank down onto his knee, regardless of the frosty ground which bit at his legs cruelly. "Daphne, will you marry me?" he pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it, showing Daphne the vintage emerald which had belonged to his mother. It was a memoir of her most favourite marriage, she had assured Blaise.

While her friends dissolved into squeals, Daphne arched a dark eyebrow. "Marriage? Are you sure?" she sneered.

"Why would I ask if I wasn't sure?"

Daphne smirked, and took a closer look at the ring. "It's a pretty ring, I'll give you that. Okay, Blaise. I'll marry you."


	36. Tears and Mistakes (ChoPadma)

**Written For:**

\- Menagerie of Pairings: Cho/Padma

\- September Event: ((emotion) Timid, object) Diary

\- Hogwarts Writing Club: Coming Out Day (write a (fem)slash)

 **Pairing:** Cho/Padma

 **Word Count:** 521

* * *

 **Tears and Mistakes**

Padma yawned as she entered the Ravenclaw Common Room. She had been studying down in the library for the majority of the weekend, and she was truly exhausted. Her fifth year was proving to be a very tiring year.

She jumped as she spotted another person sitting in a stiff armchair by the fire, scribbling hastily in a diary. The watery eyes and sleek dark hair belonged to Cho Chang, a beautiful girl from the year above who had always caused Padma's heart to flutter. Since her boyfriend died the year before, Cho had less and less friends, probably due to the fact that she didn't do much else but cry these days.

When Cho didn't seem to notice Padma, the younger student timidly headed over to her. "Cho?" she whispered quietly, not wanting to wake any of the students who would be fast asleep in the dorms overhead. Cho flinched noticeably and slammed her diary shut, wiping her eyes on her pyjama sleeve.

"Padma," she greeted thickly, turning back to the fire. "I thought everyone would be in bed by now."

"I was at the library. Do you mind if I sit?" she gestured to the chair opposite Cho, and Cho shrugged. "Do you want to talk to someone?" Even though Cho was trying her hardest to hide her red-rimmed eyes, Padma knew that she had been crying.

"Not about Cedric," she murmured, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I'm sorry you found me like this."

"Don't be sorry. We all hurt sometimes."

Padma and Cho were quiet for a few moments, as they stared into the fire. After a few minutes of silence, Padma stretched her hand out and placed it comfortingly over Cho's. "I'll always be here if you need to talk. Just let me know."

"I'm grateful," Cho replied, but she sounded hesitant. "But Padma—you barely even know me."

Padma looked away, feeling embarrassed. "That's true, but it doesn't mean I don't _want_ to know you."

"What do you mean?" Cho raised an eyebrow.

"I've thought you were wonderful ever since the Yule Ball last year," Padma babbled, instantly regretting her words the minute they left her mouth. At the mention of the Yule Ball, Cho's eyes welled up. She was clearly overwhelmed by memories of an evening spent dancing around the Great Hall with Cedric. Padma felt dreadful. "I'm sorry, Cho."

"You…you _like_ me?"

Padma stared at her hands, mortified. "I think you're beautiful."

"Even though…" Cho's voice tailed off. "Even though all I do is cry? And everyone hates me because of what happened with Marietta and Dumbledore's Army?"

"Regardless of your emotions and mistakes."

Cho climbed out of her chair and leaned forwards, pressing a chaste, wet kiss to Padma's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, before rushing out of the common room and into the sixth year dormitory stairwell. Padma listened to her rushing up the spiral staircase, and looked onto the balcony overlooking the common room, waiting for Cho to pass. "I'd like to get to know you too," her voice echoed through the common room, and Padma smiled.


	37. She's Killing Me (DracoAstoria)

**Written For:**

\- Speed Drabble: (pairing) Draco/Astoria, (word) Diamonds, (dialogue) "Why do you always do that?"

\- September Event: (word) Drama, (dialogue) "Can you please pretend that you have a life for just one moment?"

 **Pairing:** Draco/Astoria

 **Word Count:** 366

* * *

 **She's Killing Me**

Draco looked up from his newspaper as his wife strolled into the dining room, her heels clicking loudly on the wooden floor. He resisted the urge to groan inwardly - he always asked Astoria politely to remove her stilettos at the door, as her sharp heels usually left marks on the expensive floor. "Why do you always do that?" he sighed, folding his newspaper up and placing it carefully on the cushion beside him. "I have spent thousands of Galleons making sure that this manor fits your impeccable standards, and you just come in and make a mess."

Astoria rolled her eyes expressively and stood in front of the mirror. She plucked the two diamonds from her ears and placed them on the mantle, instead of in the jewellery box upstairs. Draco groaned inwardly once again, knowing that just a misplaced sweep of Astoria's hand would throw the earrings onto the floor, resulting in one of them probably getting lost. They were just another unnecessarily expensive gift that Draco had bought her, and Astoria took advantage of.

"Can you please pretend that you have a life for just one moment?" Astoria snapped, glaring at Draco through the reflection of the mirror. "Every day is another drama, you always start something when I have just walked in from work."

"Well, I don't—"

"—No," Astoria interrupted, turning to face Draco. "My heels make the tiniest marks which can be lifted easily with magic, and I have _never_ lost my earrings when I've put them on the mantle. You just overreact!"

"I like to keep the place looking tidy." Draco spoke thinly, through pursed lips. He hated it when Astoria spoke back to him. He had grown up with a mother who remained very reserved, never speaking up to his father.

"We have a whole flock of House Elves. You're pathetic." With a swish of her long brown hair, Astoria left the dining room, most likely to vacate to her office, where she wouldn't return until dinner time.

Draco shook his head and picked his newspaper back up. Regardless of how much Astoria irritated him, and he annoyed her, he knew that they loved each other.


	38. Red Velvet (BartyWalburga)

**Written For:**

\- September Event: (word) Stereotype, (action) Being attracted to/starting an intimate relationship with a friend's mum or dad.

 **Pairing:** Barty/Walburga

 **Word Count:** 183

* * *

 **Red Velvet**

Barty felt captivated as Walburga crawled up the red satin sheets towards him. He had never expected that his best friend's mother would even _look_ at him, let alone invite him to her bedroom.

He wanted to pinch himself. He was sure that it was a dream.

Walburga was like a goddess amongst other women. She was nothing like the other stereotypical mothers that Barty had met. She was slender and beckoning, with come-hither eyes and a sultry voice that sent vibrations right to Barty's centre.

"I'm dreaming," he mumbled, hardly daring to make eye contact with Walburga. "I'm dreaming."

"You're not dreaming, idiot boy," she chastised, hovering over his face. Her lips were fire-engine red and her breath smelt like fresh coffee. Barty ached with need. "Regulus must never know of this, Barty. If I find out you have told anyone…" her hand swept between them, grasping his privates through his boxers. "I'll chop it off."

"I promise," he gasped, his voice sounding unnaturally high.

"Good," she purred, and began a slow descent down his body. "Now, where was I."


	39. Heartthrob (SiriusMarlene)

**Written For:**

\- September Event: (action) Several friends being attracted to the same person, (location) The Great Hall

 **Pairing:** Sirius/Marlene

 **Word Count:** 199

* * *

 **Heartthrob**

Marlene, Mary and Alice all sighed collectively as Sirius Black ambled past where they were sitting in the Great Hall. He looked back, winking at one of the girls.

"Oh, he looked at me!" Mary gasped, clutching her heart.

"I think you'll find he was looking at _me,_ " Alice muttered.

"You have a boyfriend, Alice. Or did you forget about Frank?" Mary sniggered, nodding down the table towards Frank Longbottom, who was engaged in talking to his friends.

"Oh, yeah," Alice murmured. "Well, it doesn't mean that I can't admire him from afar."

"You're right," Mary replied, and the three girls resumed staring after Sirius, as he wandered towards the other end of the table.

Marlene wouldn't say anything to the other girls, but it hadn't been either of them that Sirius had winked at. Those dark eyes had been directed at her, and only her.

She smiled to herself, thinking of their little secret. She had insisted that they keep their relationship private for now, as Sirius was too well known as a heartthrob. She didn't want to upset any of her friends just yet.

But before long, she wouldn't be able to hold in her secret.


	40. Nebula (CedricHermione)

**Written For:**

\- Trick or Treat: For Queenie, Cedric/Hermione, Asylum!AU, (genre) Angst

\- Speed Drabble (Hogwarts): (word) Tied, (word) Fizzy, (dialogue) "You're like a nebula."

 **Pairing:** Cedric/Hermione

 **Word Count:** 310

* * *

 **Nebula**

He's nothing like the other patients. Hermione notices this when she passes his cell on her first visit to the hospital. He's beautiful in the kind of way that a man shouldn't be, with a sharp, smooth jawline and pale brown hair, which hangs softly around his head in a distinctly feminine way.

He's nothing like the other patients. When she speaks to him, he's calm and responsive, offering insightful opinions on her questions and topics. He watches her carefully with his opalescent grey eyes.

(Grey was supposed to be such a boring colour, it signified melancholy and all things grim. But she had never seen so much vibrance behind such colourless eyes)

He's nothing like the other patients. He throbs and fizzes with energy, and she begins to seek out his dazzling smile just to get her through the day. When he corners her in the secluded Day Room one day, their mouths almost touching, Hermione quickly looks away. "I'm tied in somewhat of a dilemma here, Cedric," she whispers, her eyes glancing this way and that for sign of someone intruding on them. "I'm a doctor. You're my patient."

"You're like a nebula," his voice his honey-sweet and silky, reaching all the right places. "You're so bright amongst the dismal background of this hospital."

"Cedric."

"Do you think I'm insane?" he murmurs, his breath hot on her cheek. When she shakes her head reluctantly, he smiles. "Well, you are wrong. I'm insane about you, Doctor."

(He's nothing like her other patients.)

She ducks out from under his arm, smoothing back her cascade of bushy brown hair and trying to compose her flustered expression.

(He's nothing like them.)

"I'm sorry, Cedric," she whispers, casting one last glance at him before scurrying out of the Day Room. "It's just the way things have to be."

(He must be nothing.)


	41. Harry's Confession (LilyJames, Harry)

**Written For:**

\- Trick or Treat: For Sophy, James/Lily & Harry

 **Pairing:** James/Lily, Harry/Ginny

 **Word Count:** 441

* * *

 **Harry's Confession**

"Well, this is a surprise," Lily exclaimed as her teenage son placed a large mug of tea down in front of her. It was watery and looked as though Harry hadn't left the teabag to stew for more than a second, but she appreciated the sentiment. "Is there something you want?" She arched a brow suspiciously.

Harry flushed beet red, and fidgeted with his spectacles. "No. Can't I just make my mum a cup of tea?"

"Nice try, son," James sniggered from where he stood at the sink. "What is it this time? I saw you looking at that new racing broom in Diagon Alley the other day. I've told you, wait and see what you get on your birthday."

"It's not that," Harry replied quickly, running a hand through his scruffy black hair. "Mum, Dad…someone's coming over to meet you."

Both of Lily's eyebrows vanished beneath her fringe, and James sat down, staring at Harry eagerly. "A girl?" he asked, and Lily elbowed him in the ribs.

"Of course it won't be a girl," she muttered, noticing the way Harry's ears almost went an interesting shade of plum. "Harry's far too busy with his studies to be thinking about a girlfriend just yet, right Harry?" she offered James a wink when Harry looked away.

"Just be nice, okay?" he replied, and someone knocked on the door at that very minute. "And act normal!" he hissed as he rushed out of the kitchen.

"Act normal…" muttered James. "What does he think we are?"

"Parents who are going to embarrass him?" Lily took Harry's absence as an opportunity to dispose of the weak cup of tea in the sink, and returned to her seat as her son returned.

"Mum, Dad…I'd like you to meet my girlfriend." Harry stepped aside, allowing a tall, red-haired teen to enter the kitchen, wearing a bright smile and wearing muddy dungarees.

James and Lily blinked at the guest, and then looked between each other. "Harry…that's Ginny. We've met Ginny before! Come, sit down," Lily pulled out the seat beside her for Ginny to take.

"Yeah, but this time its different…" Harry looked more uncomfortable than ever.

"Harry and I have started dating," Ginny interjected suddenly, beaming around the room. "I think that's what he's trying to say."

There was a sudden silence, broken only when Harry finally spoke. "Is that okay with you?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Lily reached over the table and hugged Ginny warmly, smiling at her son over her shoulder. "So long as your studies don't suffer because of it."

Harry grinned, looking down at his shuffling feet. "They won't. I promise."


	42. The Proposal (LuciusAndromeda)

**Written For:**

\- Drabble Game Challenge, Lucius/Andromeda (prompt #12) for Bex

 **Pairing:** Lucius/Andromeda

 **Word Count:** 299

* * *

 **The Proposal**

Andromeda sighed loudly and deliberately as her mother pushed a leaf of parchment across the dining table towards her. She saw the Malfoy crest heading the letter immediately, and she folded her arms. "I already told Mister Malfoy that I wasn't going to court his son."

"Andromeda, you're being petulant," her mother snapped, narrowing her dark eyes.

"And you're being unfair!" she hissed back. "I told you I am marrying for love, _not_ for convenience."

"You grow to love your husband in time. Do you think I loved your father at the start?" Druella rolled her eyes expressively and took a long drag from the cigarette she was holding. "Of course not. But I did what was best for my family name."

"I am only sixteen!" yelled Andromeda.

"Yes, and Bellatrix is younger than you, and she has already accepted the Lestrange's proposal! Now stop being such a child and write back to the Malfoys. All he wants is your hand in marriage."

"Oh, is that all?" scoffed Andromeda, glaring across the table. Her thoughts wandered to the oldest Malfoy son, with his angled, pale features and slick, white-blonde hair. He had light blue eyes that shot icy daggers through anyone he looked at, and he always made Andromeda shudder.

She tried to imagine herself cuddling up to Lucius on an evening in front of the fire, or pouring wine for the pair of them. She thought about what it would be like to kiss his stone-cool lips, to be led up to bed by him. To have him slipping between her sheets like an ice sculpture. To give birth to a blonde son, wearing the same expressionless sneer as he was born.

 _No,_ she thought to herself, shaking her head firmly. _It just couldn't work out._


	43. Honey Love (LuciusHermione)

\- Year Long Scavenger Hunt: B-16 (character) Narcissa Malfoy

\- Hogwarts Advent Calendar: Written for Sam (HP Slash Luv)

 **Pairings/Characters:** Lucius Malfoy/Hermione Granger

 **Word Count:** 657

* * *

 **Honey Love**

Hermione pressed her head against the cold, smooth oak of the church doors. She could hear the murmur of the priest inside, and knew that the ceremony was already in progress.

She knew she shouldn't just burst in, but jealousy boiled like hot sludge in her belly. Lucius had no plans to renew his wedding vows, but as soon as Narcissa began to suspect that her husband was being unfaithful, she had lunged at the opportunity to chop away the burnt embers of her marriage. Starting afresh with new vows seemed like the perfect plan.

And of course, Lucius hadn't had the nerve to come clean to his wife. He had allowed her to throw herself into planning the wedding renewal, all the while promising Hermione that he would, at some point, confess to Narcissa.

But that confession never came, and Hermione knew that she had to take matters into her own hands. She _loved_ Lucius—she had never loved anyone with a passion like she loved this man. She had tried to remain with Ron for the sake of her friends and her reputation as one third of the Golden Trio, but she couldn't deny what her heart lusted for.

She had lost her friends, _and_ her sparkling reputation. She couldn't lose Lucius, too.

She pressed her ear to the wood, waiting for the right moment. Narcissa's voice seeped through the cracks in the door like molten honey, and Hermione inwardly cringed. "My beloved Lucius. Many years ago, we made a pledge before all of our family and friends, to love and protect one another until death we do part. Today my heart rejoices for our communion, as we celebrate that promise, which has only become stronger and stronger over the years."

Hermione frowned. If it wasn't for the fact that Narcissa was lying through her teeth, she would have felt a lot more guilty than she did.

"My life is complete because of you. Thank you for being the one. I vow to always remain by your side as your devoted wife, and I will continue to give you the very best of me."

Hermione gripped the door handle, jealousy seething through her pores.

"I love you so much…and I always will."

She flung the heavy doors open with a strength she didn't realise she had. "Stop!" she screamed, causing every pointed face in the church to turn and glare at her.

But she didn't care. Her gaze landed on Lucius, who was looking uncomfortable in tight-necked dress robes, with his hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. Narcissa stood beside him, looking radiant in a grey, crystallised gown. Hermione was sure that the hatred she felt for Narcissa right then was evident on her face.

"What are you doing here?" hissed Narcissa, clearly furious that Hermione had ruined her ceremony.

Hermione looked to Lucius. "Were you going to tell her?"

"Tell me what?!" Narcissa's voice had reached a piercing pitch, but the look on her face wasn't entirely surprised. She _knew_ that something had been going on with Lucius. Hermione's guess was that she just didn't know _who_ it was with.

"Hermione," Lucius murmured breathily, his blue eyes glancing around the room. "May we talk outside?"

Hermione nodded curtly, knowing that the friends and family of the Malfoys knew full well of her blood status, and were no doubt putting two and two together. With a strangled expression, Narcissa watched as her husband and the Mudblood exited the church.

Once the door was closed, Lucius loosened his collar. "You saved me."

"You could have saved yourself," Hermione muttered darkly.

Lucius pulled her flush against him, and pressed his mouth to hers. Instantly, she found herself melting into his kiss, all of his sins forgiven. "Let's go, before someone comes looking for us," he whispered into her mouth heatedly.

"Do you promise we'll never come back?"

"I promise."


	44. Blessed Be (HarryLuna)

\- Year Long Scavenger Hunt: C-01 Write about a character falling for someone forbidden

\- Hogwarts Advent Calendar: Written for Sophy (The Crownless Queen)

 **Pairings/Characters:** Harry Potter/Luna Lovegood

 **Word Count:** 703

* * *

 **Blessed Be**

Luna rubbed circles into Harry's back gently, listening to the quiet way his body shook with sobs. It had been nearly a year since Ginny had died in childbirth, leaving Harry with two young children and a newborn, but he still grieved for her as though she had died just yesterday.

They sought comfort in one another. Luna had done her best to support Harry when he was widowed, helping where she could with his children. When she had fallen pregnant with twins five months after Ginny's death, Rolf had unexpectedly announced that he was taking a trip to Indonesia.

Luna hadn't heard from him since. Now, heavily pregnant and emotional, she had no one to turn to but Harry. A lone tear slipped down her face and she allowed herself to rest her head on Harry's shoulder.

"If Rolf comes back," he muttered. "I'll make him pay for leaving you like this."

"I wish I could bring Ginny back for you," Luna replied. "I wish I could bring her back for me, too."

Harry leaned back and put an arm around Luna's shoulders, nuzzling his face into the top of her hair. She clutched her swollen belly, feeling as four little feet kicked her from within. While her babies moved within her, she grabbed Harry's hand and placed it on her belly. A smile cracked his otherwise broken features. "I sat like this with Ginny just a week before…before…" the smile faltered. "I'm sorry, Luna. I shouldn't scare you like that."

"I'm not afraid of death, Harry." She looked up at him, her face composed and still. "I used to be afraid of what would happen to my children if I were to die…but I know they would be in safe hands." She smiled gently.

"I'd take them in as if they were my own." Harry paused. "But nothing is going to happen to you. Ginny's death was a tragic, tragic accident. She was so determined to give birth to Lily Luna at home, and have a natural birth, as Albus and James were both born in St. Mungo's. We had two wonderfully straightforward pregnancies, so she didn't think about the risks." His voice wavered.

"You don't have to talk about it, Harry."

Harry pressed his lips gently to Luna's forehead, and she looked up at him again. For a few moments, they didn't say anything—and then Harry moved forward again, his lips meeting hers.

The kiss seemed to last for hours, until Luna slowly brought her hand between their faces. This was her best friend's husband. Her _dead_ best friend's widowed, broken husband. She couldn't fall for him, she _couldn't._

"I'm sorry." Harry's voice was less than a whisper, more of a breath.

"No, I'm sorry," Luna murmured. "You're vulnerable. I shouldn't have—"

"— _You're_ vulnerable," Harry gestured to her enormous stomach. " _I_ shouldn't have."

Luna and Harry stood up from their seat in front of the fire, and Harry muttered something about needing to go to the bathroom. As he rushed off, Luna walked towards the mantle. A gilt-framed picture was the only thing that stood there; the last picture that was taken of Ginny. She was largely pregnant, with her two boys standing either side of her. She looked so radiant, so beautiful. Luna could hardly believe that she had died so soon after this picture was taken.

She reached forward and touched the glossy picture of Ginny's face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling another tear slip down her face. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have—"

 _It's okay._

Luna froze before spinning around on her heel. "Harry?" There was no answer. She turned back to the picture of Ginny, who was tossing back her hair and smiling knowingly at Luna. _It's okay, Luna._

"Ginny…" she breathed.

 _Harry needs you. And you need Harry. You should never be sorry._

Luna felt more tears warm and wet her face as she listened to the familiar, ethereal voice in her head. Ginny didn't hate her in death. She had Ginny's blessing.

She smiled to herself amidst the tears, and stared into Ginny's eyes. "Thank you."


	45. Pretty Women (BillFleur, Gabrielle)

**Written For:**

\- 2017 Drabbles: Dragonfly

\- Hogwarts Writing Club: Days of the Month/Gardening Month - Write a story set in a garden

\- Hogwarts Writing Club: Days of the Month/Day of Silence - Write a fic with no dialogue

\- Hogwarts Writing Club: Character Appreciation/Bill Weasley

 **Word Count:** 443

 **Pairing/Characters:** Bill/Fleur, Gabrielle

* * *

 **Pretty Women**

Bill sipped on the glass of lemonade that Fleur had brought him as he gazed out at the back garden. It was a beautiful day by all accounts — the sun was shining, dragonflies whizzed about the air, the crystal sea was glittering beyond the white picket fence, and Gabrielle was wearing a bikini top whilst she planted chilli pepper seeds in the freshly sown earth.

He was trying his best to ignore her, he really was. But Fleur was spending the summer cooped up inside the cottage, feeling hot and uncomfortable due to her swollen pregnant stomach, and she hated sitting outside in the sun. She had grumbled to him during breakfast that her hair was too pale for the hot sun, and she would fall victim to sunstroke by noon.

So he was forced to sit outside and enjoy the weather alone. At least, until his sister-in-law decided to pay a visit.

oOo

It wasn't Gabrielle's fault that she was so pretty. Just like it wasn't Fleur's fault. It was the Veela blood that ran through their veins — Bill knew that, and deep down, he supposed that's why he justified watching her in the garden. It was her genes that made men drool at her.

Her stomach was washboard taut and kissed lightly by the sun. The pink polka dot bikini she wore was just around her chest, with the halter-neck strap tucked into the bra so that she wouldn't get tan lines. The slight curve of her breasts dipped suggestively, covered just enough by the thin material she wore. The skin on her neck and shoulders glistened with sweat, making her shimmer in the sunlight. When she bent over to dig her hands into the soil, her denim shorts tightened against her rear and rode high up her toned thighs. Every now and then, she would toss her platinum ponytail over her shoulder so that it caught the sunlight perfectly.

oOo

Finally, Bill climbed to his feet and ambled back inside the cottage. His wife sat at the kitchen table, looking miserable with her hair plastered to her forehead and her bare stomach looking strained and tight. He brushed a hand over her head and pressed a kiss to the top of her hair gently.

She didn't look like her little sister right now, but that was because her body was doing something else. Fleur was making their child, and the energy of that creation was draining her ability to look flawless and pretty. But she was still the most beautiful person in the world to Bill, and no amount of young Veela blood would change that.


	46. Bumping Into You (RemusRegulus, Sirius)

**Written For:**

\- 2017 Drabbles: Amusement

\- Build-a-Fic Workshop: Hope Lupin, Regulus/Remus, (location) Honeydukes, (word) Dust, (colour) Olive Green

\- Jewel Day Challenge: Rose Quartz Necklace - Write a 'accidently-hugging-a-stranger-thinking-it's-someone-else'!AU

 **Word Count:** 596

* * *

 **Bumping Into You**

Remus yawned as his mother steered him past Honeydukes determinedly. He had been absent-mindedly looking through the window at the new supply of caramel chocolate bars that had been stacked up behind the glass. He had been thinking of a certain someone that he hadn't spoken to since last term, wondering whether a bar of chocolate would bring them closer again…

"Come on, Remus, we need to get you measured for your new robes," Hope Lupin muttered, tucking her hand through the crook of his arm to hurry him along. "I swear, you've grown about six inches since last term."

Remus grunted in agreement. He wasn't looking forward to next term. If he and Sirius couldn't resolve the argument they had had before summer, he didn't know how he would be able to cope. A firm divide had separated the group, leaving Sirius and James on one side, and Remus stuck with Peter on the other.

He reached Madam Malkin's with his mother, and was suddenly distracted by a flash of shiny ebony hair somewhere ahead of him. "In we go," Hope said breezily, pushing the door open. Remus narrowed his eyes and peered after the stranger - he was slightly stocky, with thick dark hair and an olive green cloak.

Remus almost kicked up dust as he ran after the familiar boy. "Remus!" shouted his mother, but Remus didn't even look back.

"Just a minute, Mum!" he charged up to the dark-haired boy and threw his arms around his shoulders firmly. "Sirius!" he cried jovially, "I'm so happy to see you. I'm so sorry about…whatever it was we fell out about. Can we just…let bygones be bygones…and all that…" Remus paused, realising that the figure he was clinging onto was tense and frozen. "Sirius?" He extracted himself from the boy slowly, allowing him to turn around.

It wasn't Sirius. Well, Remus hadn't been far off. The sleepy, steely eyes that focused on him belonged to Sirius's younger brother, Regulus. "Remus," he murmured in greeting, a hint of amusement evident in his voice.

Remus felt his cheeks burning as colour crept up his neck and into his face. He took a few steps back, his mouth dropping open. "R-Regulus…I'm…I…"

"You thought I was Sirius," Regulus shrugged. "It happens."

"Honestly, if I'd of known…I wouldn't have…"

"Jumped me?" Regulus smirked. "If it's any consolation, Sirius hasn't stopped pining over you all summer. Whatever you fell out over really did a number on him." He paused, and briefly looked Remus up and down. "I guess I can tell why. You look different than you did last term."

Remus's cheeks only burned more furiously. "Thanks, I guess."

"I'll tell Sirius…" Regulus raised an eyebrow. "That you were hoping to see him today."

Remus smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, that would be great, thanks."

"See you round." Regulus grinned and turned on his heel, disappearing until he was just a dark green flicker in the crowd.

Remus waited until the blush had left his face before turning around to face his mother again, but it was already too late.

"Who was that?" she asked with a rather toothy smile. "Was that your friend _Sirius?"_

He regretted ever confessing to his mother all those months ago about his attraction to Sirius. Ever since, she had been just dying to meet him. Remus grumbled under his breath, feeling his cheeks glow once again, and dragged his mother into Madam Malkin's.


	47. Cinnamon (BartyRegulus)

**Written For:**

365 Prompts: (action) sleeping in

February Scavenger Hunt: Write about your OTP

Valentines Drabble Collection: Barty/Regulus, (prompt) Cinnamon

 **Word Count:** 245

* * *

 **Cinnamon**

Before Barty opened his eyes, the smell of cinnamon filled his nostrils. His eyelids flickered open slowly, and he focused on a cup of hot chocolate that was sitting on the bedside table beside him. It was topped with cream and cinnamon—his favourite.

The sun was gleaming through the dark curtains, and the alarm clock read eleven-fifteen. "Regulus?" he murmured, grinding the heels of his palms into his tired eyes.

"Right here," Regulus was sitting on top of the covers beside him, holding his own mug. Instead of hot chocolate, Regulus had black coffee, and Barty smiled. While Barty always had time for something sweet, Regulus couldn't abide anything other than strong coffee before lunchtime.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Barty asked through a yawn, nestling comfortably into his pillow and looking up at his boyfriend. "It's almost noon."

Regulus lowered a hand and ran the back of his index finger across Barty's cheek. His hands were hot from clasping his mug of coffee. "You looked so peaceful when I woke up. I know you've not been sleeping properly lately, so I thought I'd let you have a lie in."

Barty smiled. It was true—he hadn't slept well for weeks, due to being plagued by nightmares. But after spending the night tucked safely in Regulus's arms, he hadn't even had a hint of a bad dream.

"Thank you," Barty replied. "For understanding. And for being so nice to me."

Regulus grinned. "Always."


End file.
